Who Lives Here?
Topic: Biomes
Target Grades: 3 through 7
Standards Met:
Missouri
• Knowledge Standards: CA 1; SC 3; SC 4
• Performance Standards: 1.1; 1.2; 2.3
Kansas
• Science Benchmarks: 1.1.4; 3.1.1; 3.1.2
Objectives: Each student will be able to:
• Identify 7 different biomes
• Link the specific biome to a geographic location
• Identify an animal in each biome
Materials:
• Several wild animal pictures from known biomes – old wildlife calendars are often a good
source of pictures
• Card stock, poster board or construction paper
• Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• Tape or push pins
• HELPFUL VOCABULARY a downloadable PDF from Zoo’s website
www.kansascityzoo.org.
Classroom Activity:
1. Discuss, define, and locate each of the biomes on a world map. 8 suggested biomes are:
tundra, coniferous forest, temperate forest, temperate grassland, desert, tropical rain forest,
tropical grassland, and ocean. Mention animals and plants that are found in each biome.
2. Discuss how biomes uniquely provide for animal survival. Examples: Each biome must
have food, water, shelter and space useable by an animal in order for it survive.
3. Type or write each biome in large font onto card stock and place them on the walls around
the classroom.
4. Pass out an animal picture to each student – preferably of animals not already discussed.
5. With the picture of their animal ask students to stand at the correct biome.
6. Go around the room and discuss if each student has placed their animal in the correct
biome; remember some animals can live in more than one biome or migrate from one to
another. If they are in the right biome, move to the next student. If they are in the wrong
biome, discuss which biome they should be in and have them move to the correct biome.
Allow students to help one another make correct decisions.
Discussion:
1. After all students are in the correct biome, discuss if this was easy or difficult and
why.
2. What adaptations animals in each biome need in order to survive.
Kansas City Zoo Education Department - 6800 Zoo Drive - Kansas City, MO 64132 - (816) 513-5723
3. What influence have people had on each biome and what can we do to improve the future of each
biome? Including our own backyards.
4. What kind of natural disaster or man-made disturbances are there?
5. How would each biome be affected by a natural disaster or man-made disturbance? Which animals
would survive, which would not and why?
Classroom Extensions:
1. See Who Can? I Can! an adaptation activity downloadable form the Zoo’s website
www.kansascityzoo.org
2. Have students either in groups or as individuals construct a food chain for an assigned biome. Once the
food chain is completed have students identify the producers, consumers, predators, prey, herbivore,
omnivore and carnivores. Students may also identify symbiotic relationships such as, mutualism, and
parasitism.
Zoo Visit Activity:
1. Ask each student to bring a camera.
2. Either individually or in small groups, ask students to take pictures of animals while at the zoo.
3. Once film is developed, have students either individually or in their small groups sort pictures
according to the biome shown in the picture.
4. Have students mount their pictures onto poster board.
5. Under each grouping of pictures, have them write the biome represented in the pictures. And answer
the question, “Describe how animals that look so different share the same biome?”
6. Challenge students to create a food chain for one of the animals in the pictures. (Animals used in
food chain do not all have to be in pictures from the Zoo.)
Suggested Readings:
• The Science of Living Things: What is a Biome? By Bobbie Kalman, 1998
• The Geography Coloring Book by Wynn Kapit, 1991
• HABITATS by Tony Hare, General Editor, 1994
Source:
Council for Environmental Education, (2001) Project WILD. Council for Environmental Education.
The Kansas City Zoo, (2001) The Kansas City Zoo Docent Handbook. The Kansas City Zoo Publication.
Kansas City Zoo Education Department - 6800 Zoo Drive - Kansas City, MO 64132 - (816) 513-5723